Son killed mother as bailiffs knocked at door

Businessman Kevin Burbidge shot dead his mother in the minutes before the
Dorset house they had lived in most of their lives was repossessed.

Kevin Burbidge, 50, used a handgun to shoot his mother dead before the house they had lived in most of their lives was repossessed.Photo: PA

5:35PM GMT 28 Jan 2009

Burbidge, 50, used a handgun to shoot Marion Merritt, 71, in the head four times as a bailiff and locksmith were at the door of the bungalow in Poole. He was jailed for life.

He had fallen behind with mortgage payments on the property over five years and lender Northern Rock had decided to evict them, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

Nicholas Haggan QC, prosecuting, said Burbidge slammed the door in the face of the men on March 3 last year and they then heard around 10 shots and left the scene.

The mortgage was in the name of another man, Lisardo Lana, who gained the title of the property during a business arrangement with Burbidge that floundered, but Burbidge paid the mortgage, the court heard.

He also shot his four dogs and then set the bungalow alight as armed police came to the scene.

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As the property blazed, Burbidge phoned several friends telling one, Andrew White: "Mum's gone, the dogs have gone and in 15 minutes I will be gone."

He tried to shoot himself with a shotgun, but could not manipulate the trigger and then gave himself up to police, the court was told.

In interview he was calm, co-operative and polite and he told officers his mother was upset about the situation and after he had shot the dogs he found her lying face down on her bed.

He told police: "she said, 'Do it'." So he explained he shot her twice but then thought he could hear her moving so he shot her again two more times.

He added: "She would just not go, the silly cow."

Later he told officers: "We used to row like cat and dog. I said I could not wait for her to die and she said she wished she would. I loves the silly cow and she loves me."

Burbidge asked that no mitigation was given on his behalf at the hearing. Jailing him, Mr Justice Royce said that Burbidge would have to serve a minimum of 10 years before he could be considered for parole.

"This, in my judgement, is a case that the court should have in mind a degree of mercy," he said.

"This is a highly unusual and tragic case."

Speaking to Burbidge he said: "You had reached a stage of real desperation that day when you realised you and your mother were going to lose your home.

"It may be that your mother, facing that chilling prospect, asked you to shoot her.

"It may have been your intention was to kill yourself after you had carried out that dreadful deed."

In addition to two illegal handguns, Burbidge had a licence for nine shotguns.

Burbidge changed his plea to guilty to murder after pleading not guilty at an earlier hearing. He also pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition.

The judge imposed a sentence of five years for possession of the handguns and a further three years for possession of the ammunition to run concurrently.

He also said that Northern Rock could not be criticised for the way it had handled the situation with Burbidge.